How Mentorship Transforms: Five Men by Dave Schmit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 884)
What happens when you reflect on the people who shaped your character, not just your career?
Dave Schmit, principal of Schmit + Associates and author of Five Men: The Transformative Power of Mentorship, joins host John Ray for a moving conversation about the mentors who changed his life. From his father and a high school baseball coach to a faith leader who walked with him through unimaginable grief, Dave shares how each man left a lasting imprint. Their influence continues to guide his work, his family, and his approach to leadership.
This episode is not about business tips. It is about legacy. It is about the quiet power of showing up for someone else. Dave’s book is an invitation to reflect on the mentors in your own life and the person you could become for someone who needs you.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from this Episode
- Mentorship is built over time: Dave’s mentors spanned decades and shaped every part of his life—vocational, personal, and spiritual.
- Mentors speak hard truths: The most meaningful guidance often comes in the form of tough love, delivered with care.
- Mentorship vs. coaching: Unlike coaching, true mentorship is grounded in long-term relationships and mutual respect.
- Anyone can be a mentor: teachers, bosses, priests, parents; many roles can become mentoring relationships when trust and consistency are present.
- Mentorship can heal division: Dave and his book’s preface writer, Egbert Perry, highlight how mentorship fosters understanding in a divided world.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:51 Guest Introduction: Dave Schmit
02:23 Dave Schmit’s Background and Career
03:29 The Inspiration Behind Five Men
06:53 Mentorship Stories and Lessons
09:18 The Importance of Long-Term Mentorship
12:09 Personal Stories: Lessons from Dad
17:12 Truth Tellers: The Role of Mentors
17:50 A Career in Development
18:35 Meeting Fred Fisher
19:39 Building Connections
22:08 A Personal Story of Loss and Faith
24:26 The Importance of Mentorship
26:52 Encouraging Young People to Seek Mentors
28:56 How to Be a Better Mentor
30:29 Final Thoughts and Book Information
34:17 Closing Remarks and Announcements
Dave Schmit
Dave Schmit is a seasoned real estate developer, entrepreneur, and mentor dedicated to building communities and future leaders.
As the founder of Schmit + Associates, he has helped shape walkable, experience-driven developments across Georgia.
Outside of business, Dave is passionate about mentorship, leadership, and faith, drawing from his experiences as an athlete, coach, and community leader.
Five Men is his debut book, sharing the invaluable lessons he learned from the mentors who shaped his life. His mission is to inspire others to recognize, appreciate, and become mentors in their communities.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 880 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
